* After reading articles like this I am generally more careful to not label people according to their age, but for the sake of simplifying the use of language for this assignment I chose to use the word “elderly” to describe people of higher age with some sort of age-related impairment.
Up until now, we have been discussing three main categories of age-related impairments; cognitive impairments, perceptual impairments, and physical impairments. In order to be able to design homes for elderly people that will support them during different stages of the aging process, designers must take these categories of impairments into consideration. Only then will the the designs reflect the user’s needs and truly offset the effects of their conditions.
Below I will suggest different possible solutions that could be incorporated into a flat design (flat as in apartment, not the current hype). I will categorize them according to the categories of impairment previously mentioned.
Cognitive problems
It is not uncommon that the daily life of elderly people is troubled by a weakened state of their cognitive abilities. Dementia is an example of a cognitive problem affecting some elderly people, and common symptoms are memory loss, communication issues and mood changes. The symptoms may cause that elderly people with this condition have a hard time finding what they are looking for in their home, or they could be confused by suddenly changing settings in their home while moving around, or they could even be unmotivated to engage in activity if that implies too much of an effort. Some proactive measures to help elderly people cope with these symptoms are to design spaces according to their purpose and to communicate that purpose distinctively. An example of a design flaw in this case would be to place to similar doors next to each other, one being the entry to the washroom and the other being the closet. Likewise, living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms should be designed purposefully where details are clear and the chance of miscommunication is minimal. In this case, shape and contrast of objects and details in different rooms are important factors to consider to make the design more communicative.
Perceptual problems
Human perception is also something that most often becomes weaker as we age, due to the gradual weakened state of our senses. Weakened eye-sight and hearing are common issues that will be covered here, but also the weakened state of taste and smell could be taken into consideration when designing possible solutions in this context. First and foremost, people with limited eye-sight or hearing are most likely best supported in static environments where visual and auditory noise is minimal. In other words, one of the first things that should be taken into consideration is whether or not the construction of the flat can resist dynamic visual and auditory conditions. Examples of these conditions are flashing lights from the street, large variations in noise due to the location of the home, or rapid weather changes. Evident solutions to these issues are window blinds and sound-reducing isolation, but may be varied according to the demands that different settings imply.
A general rule in design is to reduce clutter as much as possible, and this applies, to a very large extent, also when designing for visual and auditory impairments. Examples of cluttered visual designs are button interfaces with too many similar buttons, or flooring with different texture and luster, which make the attributes of the floor surface hard to distinguish. Examples of cluttered auditory designs are audio cues from different electronic appliances that blend in to current background noise and thus are not distinctive enough to be heard. Regardless of visual or auditory design, it is important to consider the intensity of whatever this design is communicating. The intensity of the communicative signal should be at an adequate level and the contrast between the signal and the background should be sufficiently distinctive. As a proactive measure, all possible distractions should also be counteracted, for example by covering the home with matte surfaces to avoid distracting glares or by designing an open planning for the home to allow audio cues to travel easier and thus be more resounding.
Physical problems
Age implies physical change, which does not necessarily have to be an inhibiting factor to daily activity. At least not if living in an environment that addresses these physical changes. A quite common and unfortunate consequence of physical change among elderly people is the increased risk of falling accidents. Proactive measures against these accidents should therefore be included in all designs of homes for elderly people. Examples of appropriate measures are non-slip floors in washrooms, consistent floor surfaces to avoid misinterpretation (with special consideration to the contrast in color and covering texture), exclusion of possible obstacles such as carpets or table legs, exclusion of thresholds, and the addition of handrails in appropriate places as balancing support.
Although having physical issues that inhibits mobility, elderly people should be enabled and encouraged to move freely in their own homes and to be independent in their daily activities to the largest possible extent. Designs that would allow this include lowered storage space such as drawers and cupboards at appropriate heights, handrails as previously mentioned, seating devices for leg rest during showers and cooking or similar, and increased size of door frames and increased height of tables for easier access with wheelchairs. A good example of the latter is the Inclusive Table suggested by Timlin and Rysenbry (2010) that is designed to accommodate wheelchairs while still being aesthetically pleasing (see image below). The table is high enough for wheelchair users to come close enough to be able to eat without spilling, it has rounded edges to be more tactile and to lower impact in the event of someone falling into it, and also the table surface is contrasted to its edges to better communicate the limits of the surface area.
The Inclusive Table (Timlin & Rysenbry, 2010) is a supportive aid mainly for wheelchair users and people with visual impairments.
Final words
A home for elderly people should strongly correlate to the current needs of the residents, which puts further weight on a need-driven Universal Design process. It is essential that design in a context like this is purposeful and not solely functional, seeing that function is useless without a purpose. And the purpose we are (or should be) designing for is to enhance life quality. After all, our aim is not to help people survive, but to support them in living.
References
All references accessed as late as October 22, 2013.
Non-excluding Design 